"Angiogenic growth factor increased TN-C production by REC in an additive manner, which may explain higher levels of TN-C deposition in diabetic retinopathy cells," the team offered.

By augmenting the ability of angiogenic growth factors to control endothelial cell viability, migration, and sprouting, TN-C may influence the course of diabetic retinopathy as well as other diseases stemming from too much neovascularization.

The corresponding author for this study is Raquel Castellon, Ophthalmology Research Laboratories, Burns and Allen Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, University of California Los Angeles Medical School Affiliate, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Key points reported in this study include:

*Tenascin-C is a proangiogenic mediator of several physiological processes such as embryogenesis